The idea that only CTGs give us the “real” heart rate pops up from time to time. A recent study found high rates of data dropout in CTG readings, with the software built into the CTG machine making up data to fill the gaps. Babies who had lots of made up data were more likely to be born in poor condition. CTGs don’t show the “real” heart rate all of time!
A Danish study reviewed fetal heart rate monitoring practices among low-risk women, revealing that while 50% received intermittent auscultation, many still underwent continuous CTG monitoring. The researchers overlooked that women, not guidelines, choose monitoring methods. This raises ethical concerns about autonomy in fetal monitoring decisions.
Fetal blood sampling has dropped out of practice, or reduced in use, in many parts of the world. It other places it remains a staple part of obstetric practice. This is a living example that far more than evidence alone is what drives practice. The evidence-base for fetal blood sampling was never very strong – and new research remains important to understand whether fetal blood sampling is a useful part […]
Life is full in very lovely ways – but I can’t fit it all in anymore. Changes are coming, including for the Birth Small Talk Blog. Comment BLOG and I’ll send you the link so you know what is going on, what is changing and what isn’t.
One of the fundamental requirements for any form of fetal heart rate monitoring is that the patterns that are detected MEAN something useful. In this week’s blog post I share yet another piece of research that should undermine blind faith in fetal monitoring practices.
In recent years, there’s been increased awareness about the possibility of confusion between maternal and fetal heart rates during CTG monitoring. This new research indicates that adding maternal heart rate data to the CTG might be having a negative impact on CTG interpretation. Read the details on the blog – including my suggestions for how to solve the problem.
A study by Roth et al. (2026) examined signal loss in external cardiotocography (CTG) during labor, revealing significant gaps in heart rate recordings. Findings indicated no clear correlation between these gaps and adverse outcomes for babies, challenging common beliefs about continuous monitoring.
Intermittent auscultation is a logical, evidence-based option for many women. But many women struggle to access it. New research provides insights about why that is the case in the UK – and offers some fairly easy to change possibilities to remove barriers.
While there’s some debate in the world of fetal physiology about the meaning of fetal heart rate variability – it is widely considered to be useful information. Are women who choose intermittent auscultation missing out on their care provider knowing what the variability of the heart rate is? Or is there a way to determine this…
Central fetal monitoring is sneaking its way in pretty much everywhere. Lots of people love it. Here are some of the reasons I have serious concerns about it…
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